Page 75 - DSOC201_SOCIAL_STRUCTURE_AND_SOCIAL_CHANGE_ENGLISH

Social Structure and Social Change

Notes has not only to marry a Brahmin girl but a Kanyakubja boy has to marry a Kanyakubja girl, a
Saryupari boy has to marry a Saryupari girl and a Gaur boy has to marry a Gaur girl. Kayastha is
a caste which is divided into sub-castes like Mathur, Saxena, Srivastava, Bhatnagar, Nigam, etc.
The marriage of a Kayastha boy, according to the rules of endogamy, has to be fixed not only in
the same caste but in the same sub-caste too. Rajput caste is divided into four endogamous sub-
groups: Suryavanshi, Chandravanshi, Nagvanshi and Agnivanshi. Suryavanshis are divided into
three endogamous sub-castes: Gahlot, Kachchawa and Rathod. Gahlots are further sub-divided
into three exogamous groups of Sisodia, Ranawat, and Suktawat; Kachchawas are sub-divided
into three exgamous groups of Nathawat, Rajawat and Shekhawat; and Rathods are sub-divided
into three exgoamous groups of Jodha, Bika, and Bindawat. Similarly, Chandravanshis are sub-
divided into three endogamous sub-castes of Jadu, Tanwar and Gaur while Nagvanshis have
only one sub-caste of Parihariya. Agnivanshis are sub-divided into four sub-castes of Solanki,
Panwar, Chauhan and Parihar. According to the rule of endogamy, a Rajput boy is to be married
not only with a Rajput girl but also in his own endogamous group and sub-caste. Among the
Baniyas, Oswal caste is divided into four sub-castes of Dhaya, Pancha, Dasa, and Bisa. Dhayas are
sub-divided into (exogamous groups of) Luniya and Singhawat; Panchas into Kataria and Kothari;
and Dasa into Dak, Bhandari and Mandot.
Caste endogamy was functional in early society because: (i) it made marital adjustment easier, (ii)
it preserved the occupational secrets of the caste, (iii) it maintained the solidarity of the caste, and
(iv) it checked decrease in the membership or strength of the castes. In the present society, however,
except performing the first function, it does not perform any other function. On the contrary, it
has proved to be dysfunctional. The negative effects of caste endogamy are that it creates: (i) inter-
caste tensions which adversely affect the political unity of the country, (ii) the problem of marital
adjustment because the field of selection remains limited and circumscribed, and (iii) problems of
child marriage, dowry, and so forth.
2. Exogamy
Exogamy is a social rule which forbids selection of a spouse from certain groups. The two types of
exogamy practised by Hindus are: gotra exogamy and sapinda exogamy. In a few cases, besides
gotra and sapinda, village is also treated as an exogamous group. Raj Bali Pande (1949: 296-303)
has referred to various theories of origin of exogamy as given by different scholars. Maclennan, in
his book Studies in Indian History, writes that the custom of exogamy arose owing to the paucity of
women in early times whereas L.H. Morgan, in his book Ancient Society, mention that exogamy
was introduced to prevent the early sexual promiscuity within the clan. According to Westermarck
(History of Human Marriage, 1931), origin of exogamy was due to the absence of sexual attraction
between persons who are brought up together whereas J.J. At-kinson (Primal Law), is of the view
that exogamy came into origin because in primitive times, the patriarch of the family himself
wanted to keep the young girls of the family for himself. So his jealousy drove the young men of
the clan to seek their wives from outside. What was thus at first a necessity subsequently became
a custom. Lastly, according to Durkheim, totem was responsible for evolving the custom of
exogamy. The clan blood was regarded sacred and to spare the sacredness of the totem, one had
to refrain from its appropriation for sexual purpose.
According to Valvalkar, the exogamous taboos were designed for the restriction of free marital
relations between parents and offsprings and brothers and sisters. According to Kane (History of
Dharmasastras, 1930), the exogamous prohibition was due to two reasons: one, if near relatives
marry, their defects will be transmitted with aggravation to their offsprings; and two, the fear that
there may be clandestine love affairs and consequent loss of morals.
However, all these theoretical explanations do not rationally explain exogamy as practised by Hindus.
Firstly, it is not Hindus but the scheduled tribes who believe in totems. Secondly, people in early
society were not so much concerned with morality. Thirdly, absence of sexual attraction between
persons brought up together is the result and not the cause of prohibition. Fourthly, if the selection
of girls from outside was to prevent the jealousy of the patriarch, was it not possible for the patriarch
to appropriate the new-comers also? Finally, the concept of decay of lineage was not known to early
people. It is, therefore, not easy to pinpoint the specific cause of the origin of the rule of exogamy

70 LOVELY PROFESSIONAL UNIVERSITY